In a recent opinion video for The New York Times, acclaimed sociologist and author Tressie McMillan Cottom offered a profound reflection on her role as a public intellectual, summarized by her candid statement, “I don’t get to draw the line.” The piece explores the intricate challenges of contributing to public discourse on deeply embedded societal issues, particularly those concerning race, class, and systemic inequality.
McMillan Cottom, a distinguished scholar and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, frequently applies her academic expertise to national conversations. Her analytical work consistently dissects the complex layers of societal problems, providing critical insights into how social structures shape individual and collective experiences.
The powerful phrase “I don’t get to draw the line” articulates a significant limitation she perceives in her capacity, or indeed any single individual’s capacity, to definitively conclude or set the boundaries of complex public debates. It highlights the weight of expectation often placed upon experts and public figures to provide ultimate solutions or to mediate seemingly intractable conflicts with a final pronouncement.
“I don’t get to draw the line,” McMillan Cottom states, reflecting on the reality that while she can analyze, explain, and contextualize societal problems, the power to determine the ultimate endpoint of these struggles, or to declare a definitive resolution, lies beyond her individual influence.
Her commentary underscores the disparity between the public’s understandable desire for clear-cut answers and the inherently messy, ongoing nature of social change. It suggests that while intellectuals can illuminate pathways, challenge conventional wisdom, and clarify the scope of problems, the collective action, sustained effort, and shared responsibility of society are what ultimately move the “line” of progress. The opinion piece ultimately serves as a reminder of the critical distinction between academic analysis and the arduous, collaborative process required for genuine societal transformation.
Source: Read the original article here.
